Category Archives: Uncategorized

Just a quick programming post to note that I’ve dropped Odiogo’s podiocast from VFG. It took up space, was sometimes slowing down my load time (I still have dial up readers to consider)…and, well, the robo-farmer voice was kind of creepy. I’d listen to him read my stuff for entertainment some evenings, but I don’tContinue reading “OdioGone”

After my goat meat post, I started craving my favorite cheese these days, Little Bloom on the Prairie from Prairie Fruits Farm in downstate Illinois. My appetite gave me a chance to finally check out the new Marion Street Cheese digs. Wow. The space is impressive. And so is the cheese selection. [I was disappointedContinue reading “New Discovery: A Southern Indiana Pyramid”

Check out this article from the NYTs about goat ranching and the prediction that goat meat is the new red meat. My favorite part of this piece was well after the jump when the article touched on the goat-cattle symbiosis. Goats and cattle work particularly well together in a pasture. Goats don’t like clover orContinue reading “Goat. It's What's For Dinner”

I’m very excited about a new shop sponsored by the ChiTown Department of Cultural Affairs: Chicago’s Downtown Farmstand. I am so going there this week to check it out if I can get time at lunch or after work. According to reports I’ve seen, all the inventory is produced within 250 miles of Chicago. That’sContinue reading “Year-Round Buy Local Market in Chicago May be on the Way!”

This San Francisco Chronicle story, “What raw milk and the economic meltdown have in common,” might be the best argument I’ve seen to buy local. Here’s the lesson from the piece, which compares the global financial crisis to the melamine contaminated raw milk from China: The hopeful news in all this is that in theContinue reading “New Ag Labeling is So Un-COOL”

The Midwest apple harvest is in full swing, so many of us are finding ourselves loaded down with extra fruit. Thanks to 4H-Champ, I learned how easy it is to make crock pot applesauce. The hardest part is actually cutting, coring and peeling the apples. There are gadgets available that make that easier. It tookContinue reading “Nothing Like Waking Up to the Smell of Warm, Spiced Apples”

I’m liking the Bonterra Vineyards Merlot. It’s not local to us here in Chicagoland. The grapes are from Mendocino County. But it’s an organic wine and is really smooth. I had a sip (hey, it is my day off) before adding some to my simmering pasta sauce. The taste reminded me that I hadn’t notedContinue reading “A Toast to the Melding of New & Old World Traditions”

In honor of Columbus Day, we’re celebrating with some Americas-inspired treats: Peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies and oven roasted pumpkin seeds. I don’t know enough of my food history to credit Columbus with peanut butter. As I recall, the Spaniards, after Columbus reached the Americas, are widely believed to have spread this legume throughout theContinue reading “Columbus Day Treats”

…to popcorn. I don’t have my own popcorn maker. I never really considered getting one, except for campfires. But I’ve changed my mind. And I now have my first entry on my Christmas wish list: A 6 Quart Silver Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper. I saw one in action on Saturday. When the 4H ChampContinue reading “I Confess. I'm Addicted…”

What a fantastic day. It wasn’t the day I planned, but thanks to some good company, great produce and fairly well-behaved kids, we ended up with the makings to have quite an adventure. 4H-Champ, 3 Future Farmkids and 1 VFG started the day thinking we were going to be picking apples at County Line OrchardContinue reading “Today's Agri-Tour Near Misadventure”